French national soccer player Paul Pogba is threatened with the end of his career after his positive doping test.
The responsible Italian anti-doping public prosecutor’s office applied for a four-year ban against the 30-year-old Juventus midfielder on Thursday. Pogba tested positive for testosterone in August after a Serie A game between Juve and Udinese Calcio. The B sample confirmed the result.
It has been temporarily closed since the beginning of September. Pogba has since admitted that he had taken a food supplement whose package leaflet mentioned performance-enhancing substances.
Confession may be a mitigating punishment
The 81-time French international has been back under contract with the Italian record champions since last year, for whom he played from 2012 to 2016. In fact, he has only played occasionally since then. He wasn’t used in the game against Udine either, but only sat on the bench.
It is still unclear when the decision on the ban will be made. The confession could possibly have a mitigating effect on the punishment. Pogba’s lawyers also argue that the Juventus player lacked intent. According to a report in Gazzetta dello Sport, the sentence could be reduced from four to two years. Pogba also spent six years with the English record champions Manchester United under contract.